School of Business

International Business Regions: China

China’s Government

Week 4

Pearson College London XXXX 2

School of Business

International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

Learning Outcomes Week 4

• China’s (state) Constitution

• The Communist Party above all else

• Security – military & police? What are their powers?

• How big a player is China in a military sense?

• What is the system of justice and law enforcement?

• Media – who controls what?

• What is the nature of social welfare?

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

What is Chinese Communism?

Communism was meant to spread around the world. But "when the Chinese go to Africa, they aren't taking communism. They are taking the market economy in one of its wildest forms. We are not talking about the expansionist communism of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s any longer, anywhere in the world.“

- Robert Service, author of ‘Comrades! A history of World Communism’

Image Source: arcticcompass.blogspot.com

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

2 parallel structures

The State Council ostensibly governs China

BUT

in reality, governance is through the leaders of the Chinese

Communist Party (CCP) in the Politburo

The influence of the Party

permeates everything

Image source: www.marketminder.com

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

Structure of Chinese Government

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

Structure of the Chinese Communist Party中国共产党 Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

Elections to NPC

Local• County Level Representatives

Provincial• Provincial People’s Congress

National

• National People’s Congress (3000)

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

(CPPCC)

Non governmental body

Meets annually to coincide with NCP Conference

Handpicked advisors for their expertise

70% of delegates are from the Communist Party

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

Army, Navy & Air force

2.28 million personnel / 0.18% of population

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

Military

People's Liberation Army (PLA: 中国人民解放军Zhōngguó Rénmín

Jiěfàngjūn)

• People’s Liberation Army–Navy (PLAN)

• PLA -Air Force (PLAAF)

Conscription – compulsory on paper - for all 18-22 year olds to

carry out 24 months military service

Under the command of the Central Military Commission of the

Communist Party and not Ministry of Defence in State Council

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

Military Spending –Quiz

• Do you know which country spends the most on

their military in the world?

USA

• Any idea of the value of the annual budget?

US$640bn

• What about China?

US$188bn

• Where does China rank in terms of military

spend?

#2

• Where does China spend its military budget?

Technologies / Long-range missiles / Salaries /

CyberImage source: decryptedmatrix.com

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

JUDICIARY

Court

Str

uctu

re

Supreme Court

Local Court

Higher Peoples’ Court –(Provincial)

Intermediate People’s Court (Prefecture)

Basic People’s Court (Town & County)

Specialist Court

(Military)

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

Police

Mission is maintenance of peace and order

Operates separate from the PLA

Split into two parts:

1. Public Security Bureau

2. Para Military Police

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

Welfare State & Health

Former welfare situation:

‘Work Unit’ (danwei 单位）in SOEs provided ‘cradle to

grave’ support including

Housing / Education / Pension / Medical insurance

New Private Sector – where insurance for everything has to be paid for privately

Universal Healthcare: widespread in large cities, basic in rural areas

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International Business Regions: ChinaChina’s government

Media

Strict control through Communist Party media

outlets

All media outlets subject to Party Propaganda

Department

CCTV – relays party approved messages

Social Media – Weibo (meaning micro blog)

– similar to Twitter – 156 million active users

We Chat – private messaging has 468

million accounts

Image source: blogs.bmj.com